A square pyramid with base $ABCD$ and vertex $E$ has eight edges of length 4. A plane passes through the midpoints of $\overline{AE}$, $\overline{BC}$, and $\overline{CD}$. The plane's intersection with the pyramid has an area that can be expressed as $\sqrt{p}$. Find $p$.
Explanation: Place the pyramid on a coordinate system with $A$ at $(0,0,0)$, $B$ at $(4,0,0)$, $C$ at $(4,4,0)$, $D$ at $(0,4,0)$ and with $E$ at $(2,2,2\sqrt{2})$. Let $R$, $S$, and $T$ be the midpoints of $\overline{AE}$, $\overline{BC}$, and $\overline{CD}$ respectively. The coordinates of $R$, $S$, and $T$ are respectively $(1,1,\sqrt{2})$, $(4,2,0)$ and $(2,4,0)$.

[asy]
import three;

size(250);
currentprojection = perspective(6,3,2);

// calculate intersection of line and plane
// p = point on line
// d = direction of line
// q = point in plane
// n = normal to plane
triple lineintersectplan(triple p, triple d, triple q, triple n)
{
  return (p + dot(n,q - p)/dot(n,d)*d);
}

triple I = (1,0,0), J = (0,1,0), K = (0,0,1), O = (0,0,0);
triple A = (0,0,0), B = (4,0,0), C = (4,4,0), D = (0,4,0), E = (2, 2, 2*sqrt(2));
triple R = (A + E)/2, S = (B + C)/2, T = (C + D)/2;
triple U = lineintersectplan(B, E - B, R, cross(R - S, R - T));
triple V = lineintersectplan(D, E - D, R, cross(R - S, R - T));

draw(E--B--C--D--cycle);
draw(C--E);
draw(A--B,dashed);
draw(A--D,dashed);
draw(A--E,dashed);
draw(U--R--V,dashed);
draw(U--S);
draw(V--T);
draw(S--T,dashed);

label("$A$", A, dir(270));
label("$B$", B, W);
label("$C$", C, dir(270));
label("$D$", D, dir(0));
label("$E$", E, N);
label("$R$", R, NW);
label("$S$", S, dir(270));
label("$T$", T, SE);
label("$U$", U, NW);
label("$V$", V, NE);
[/asy]

Note that $S = (4,2,0)$ and $T = (4,2,0)$ satisfy any equation of the form
\[x + y + kz = 6.\]Substituting $x = y = 1$ and $z = \sqrt{2},$ we get $2 + k \sqrt{2} = 6,$ so $k = 2 \sqrt{2}.$  Thus, the equation of plane $RST$ is
\[x + y + 2z \sqrt{2} = 6.\]Let $U$ and $V$ be the points of intersection of the plane with $\overline{BE}$ and $\overline{DE}$ respectively.  Points on $\overline{BE}$ have coordinates of the form $(4-t, t, t\sqrt{2}).$  Substituting into the equation of the plane, we get
\[4 - t + t + 4t = 6.\]Then $t = \frac{1}{2},$ so $U = \left(\dfrac{7}{2},\dfrac{1}{2},\dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\right).$

Similarly, points on $\overline{DE}$ have coordinates of the form $(t,4-t,t\sqrt{2}).$  Substituting into the equation of the plane, we get
\[t + 4 - t + 4t = 6.\]Then $t = \frac{1}{2},$ so $V = \left(\dfrac{1}{2},\dfrac{7}{2},\dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\right).$

Then $RU=RV=\sqrt{7}$, $US=VT=\sqrt{3}$ and $ST = 2\sqrt{2}$. Note also that $UV = 3\sqrt{2}$. Thus the pentagon formed by the intersection of the plane and the pyramid can be partitioned into isosceles triangle $RUV$ and isosceles trapezoid $USTV.$

[asy]
unitsize(1 cm);

pair R, S, T, U, V;

R = (0,2*sqrt(5/2));
S = (-sqrt(2),0);
T = (sqrt(2),0);
U = (-3/2*sqrt(2),sqrt(5/2));
V = (3/2*sqrt(2),sqrt(5/2));

draw(R--U--S--T--V--cycle);
draw(U--V);

label("$R$", R, N);
label("$S$", S, SW);
label("$T$", T, SE);
label("$U$", U, W);
label("$V$", V, E);

label("$\sqrt{7}$", (R + U)/2, NW);
label("$\sqrt{7}$", (R + V)/2, NE);
label("$\sqrt{3}$", (U + S)/2, SW);
label("$\sqrt{3}$", (V + T)/2, SE);
label("$2 \sqrt{2}$", (S + T)/2, dir(270));
label("$3 \sqrt{2}$", (U + V)/2, dir(270));
[/asy]

Dropping the altitude from $R$ to $\overline{UV}$ and applying Pythagoras, we find that the altitude of triangle $RUV$ is $\frac{\sqrt{10}}{2}.$  Therefore, the area of triangle $RUV$ is
\[\frac{1}{2} \cdot 3 \sqrt{2} \cdot \frac{\sqrt{10}}{2} = \frac{3 \sqrt{5}}{2}.\][asy]
unitsize(1 cm);

pair M, R, S, T, U, V;

R = (0,2*sqrt(5/2));
S = (-sqrt(2),0);
T = (sqrt(2),0);
U = (-3/2*sqrt(2),sqrt(5/2));
V = (3/2*sqrt(2),sqrt(5/2));
M = (U + V)/2;

draw(R--U--V--cycle);
draw(R--M);

label("$R$", R, N);
label("$U$", U, W);
label("$V$", V, E);
label("$\sqrt{7}$", (R + U)/2, NW);
label("$\sqrt{7}$", (R + V)/2, NE);
label("$\frac{3 \sqrt{2}}{2}$", (M + V)/2, dir(270));
label("$\frac{\sqrt{10}}{2}$", (R + M)/2, W);
[/asy]

Dropping the altitude from $V$ to $\overline{ST},$ we find that the altitude of trapezoid $USTV$ is $\frac{\sqrt{10}}{2}.$  Thus, the area of trapezoid $USTV$ is
\[\frac{3 \sqrt{2} + 2 \sqrt{2}}{2} \cdot \frac{\sqrt{10}}{2} = \frac{5 \sqrt{5}}{2}.\][asy]
unitsize(1 cm);

pair P, R, S, T, U, V;

R = (0,2*sqrt(5/2));
S = (-sqrt(2),0);
T = (sqrt(2),0);
U = (-3/2*sqrt(2),sqrt(5/2));
V = (3/2*sqrt(2),sqrt(5/2));
P = (3/2*sqrt(2),0);

draw(U--S--T--V--cycle);
draw(T--P--V);

label("$\sqrt{3}$", (T + V)/2, NW);
label("$2 \sqrt{2}$", (S + T)/2, dir(270));
label("$3 \sqrt{2}$", (U + V)/2, N);
label("$\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}$", (P + T)/2, dir(270));
label("$\frac{\sqrt{10}}{2}$", (V + P)/2, E);

label("$S$", S, dir(270));
label("$T$", T, dir(270));
label("$U$", U, NW);
label("$V$", V, NE);
[/asy]

Therefore the total area of the pentagon is $\frac{3 \sqrt{5}}{2} + \frac{5 \sqrt{5}}{2} = 4\sqrt{5}$ or $\sqrt{80}$, and $p = \boxed{80}$.